1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a detachable connection of cylindrical hollow shafts whose end faces have annular flanges which are inserted into one another in an overlapping way in the direction of the hollow shaft axes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Connections of this kind are comprised generally of screw or clamping connections inserted into the overlapping annular flanges. The decisive disadvantage of such connecting types is that the insertion of the corresponding screw or clamping elements requires a considerable manual expenditure and, depending on the arrangement and quality of the connection, also requires a corresponding experience. Moreover, depending on the configuration conditions, the overlapping annular flanges are not easily accessible about their circumference for carrying out such labor.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a connection of the aforementioned kind which can be easily produced and simply detached and does not require special experience of the operating personnel, while it also does not require unimpeded access about the entire circumference of the annular flanges to be connected.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved in that in the inner annular flange of the two annular flanges two or more locking bolts are radially displaceably arranged and in that locking bushings, open at both ends and correlated with the respective locking bolt ends of the locking bolts that they receive, are correlated therewith in the outer annular flange, and in that the other end of the locking bolts is guided threadedly in the inner annular flange and the locking bolt, between its two ends is provided with a circumferential pinion whose teeth mesh like a crown gear with the teeth of a rotary ring rotationally supported in the inner annular flange and provided with lateral teeth, wherein the outwardly facing end faces of the locking bolt ends of the locking bolts have receptacles for insertion of rotary tools for rotating the locking bolts about their longitudinal axis.
With this solution, all locking bolts can be simultaneously actuated, i.e., brought into the locking position or release position, by means of the rotary ring that engages the circumferential pinions of all locking bolts by inserting the tool into one of the locking bolts and rotating it; even locking bolts which in the past have been difficult to access can be actuated in this way.
The solution according to the invention is suitable also for use in laying heads for wire rod which is supplied by a wire rolling mill, wherein the laying head is comprised of a rotatingly driven hollow shaft and a cylindrically or conically shaped pipe holder detachably coupled at the end face to the hollow shaft in which the wire rod by means of a spirally formed laying pipe arranged therein is formed successively to wire windings, wherein the hollow shaft and the pipe holder have annular flanges overlapping one another, and wherein the locking bolts and the rotary ring meshing with their circumferential pinions are arranged in the annular flange of the hollow shaft and the locking bushings are arranged in the annular flange of the pipe holder.
Since in this type of laying head the pipe holder supporting the laying pipe, in particular, because of the wear caused in the laying pipe as a result of the high velocity of the wire rod guided therethrough, must be exchanged frequently for the purpose of exchanging the laying pipe, the possibility according to the invention of effecting or detaching the connection between the hollow shaft and the pipe holder by means of a single tool which, when inserted into one of the locking bolts, can move all locking bolts into or out of the locking position, leads to the advantage, in addition to the already mentioned advantages, that the operation of the wire rolling mill must not be interrupted, or interrupted only for a short period of time, for this purpose.